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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. last — final
  16. spell — letters
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. spell — magic
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com